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Zoological Research
Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
ISSN: 2095-8137
Vol. 31, No. 1, 2010, pp. 17−26
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Bioline Code: zr10003
Full paper language: Chinese
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Zoological Research, Vol. 31, No. 1, 2010, pp. 17−26
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Trefoil Factor: From Laboratory to Clinic
Du, Ting-Yi; Zhang, Yong & Zhang, Yun
Abstract
Trefoil factor (TFF) family is a group of peptides with one or several trefoil factor domains in their
structure, which are highly conserved in evolution, and are characterized by heat and enzymatic digestion resistance. The
mammalian TFFs have three members (TFF1-3) , and the gastrointestinal tract and the airway system are major organs of
their expression and secretion. At certain physiological conditions, with a tissue-specific distribution,TFF plays an
important role in mucosal protection and wound healing. But in the malignant tissues, TFF is widely expressed, correlated
strongly with the genesis, metastasis and invasion of tumor cells. These phenomena indicated that TFF may be a possible
common mediator of oncogenic responses to different stimuli. The biological functions of TFF involve complex
regulatory processes. Single chain TFF may activate cell membrane receptors and induce specific signaling transduction.
On the other hand, TFF can form a complex with other proteins to exert its biological effects. In clinical medicine, TFF is
primarily applied as drugs in the mucosal protection, in the prevention and the treatment of mucosal damage-related
diseases and as pathological biomarkers of tumors. At present the first hand actions and the molecular mechanisms related
to TFFs are still the major challenges in TFF research. Furthermore, the discovery of the naturally occurring complex of
TFF and crystallins is highly valuable to the understanding of the biological functions and action mechanisms of TFF.
Keywords
Trefoil factor; Physiological function; Pathological function; Mucosal protection; Wound restitution; Tumor
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